Westside Digest

Santa Monica : Dance Center to Close Doors

The House, UCLA's community center for dance and the performing arts, will close its doors April 13 because the building has been sold and the lease terminated.

"We intend to relocate and have been actively seeking a suitable location," said Robert H. Gray, dean of UCLA's College of Fine Arts.

A farewell reception for members and supporters will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at The House, 1329B 5th St.

"The Los Angeles dance community has been especially saddened by this news (of the closure) because The House was the foremost place where beginning artists could produce their works at a reasonable cost," said Carol Scothorn, who chairs the UCLA dance department.

The studio was named The House in 1981 when local choreographer Bess Snyder took it over and with her husband, John Fredlund, made it a showcase for dance, music, video and dramatic arts.

Snyder established the Works in Progress series, in which new artists present their work free of charge on the first Monday of each month.

The facility was acquired by UCLA's dance department in 1983. Under Scothorn's direction, The House added the Rough Cuts and Ethnic Works in Progress programs and concerts with artists including Daniel Stein, Wilson Pico, Gozo Yoshimasu and David Perry.

Information on the reception is available by calling (213) 393-3962. A $4 donation will be requested.